Practice Turf Cricket Carpet (2m & 2.74m widths)

An economical, but high performance cricket carpet, best suited for club and junior level play. Suitable for matchplay or as a cricket practice surface.

Practice Play is our recommended carpet of choice for permanent installation onto concrete bases.

Practice Turf is a reverse needled, fibre bonded needle punch carpet totally impregnated with synthetic latex. It doesn't need or have the sprayed, black latex backing seen on artificial grass carpets due to it's needlepunch manufacturing process.

Since the reduction (and almost total elimination) of players using metal spikes, needlepunch Practice Play has come into its own. It can be used on both new installations or as a replacement to upgrade or resurface an existing cricket strip, with or without a shockpad.

Practice Turf is excellent cricket surface on concrete bases, and can be either tensioned and pinned across the concrete or stuck down. 

With multiple size options, and it's suitability for use on dynamic stock, solid concrete or tarmac bases, Practice Turf is our most versatile cricket carpet.

Alternatively, consider our PVC Backed roll up, roll down Practice Turf cricket carpet instead.

sportsequip's refurbishment, installation and fitting service is available for this product, however we encourage customers to consider installing it on a 'Do It Yourself' basis. More information on how to do that is available in our Cricket Downloads section. If you would like further help and advice on how to do this this please contact our Sales Office on 01858 545789.

This product is manufactured for us in the UK by Playrite and comes with their standard conditional 5 year product warranty, subject to fair wear and tear, correct usage, maintenance etc.

Specifications

Needlepunch carpet - reverse needled, fibre bonded.
100% UV stablised polypropylene fibres.
No infill material required.
Colour: Green
Non directional carpet, known by some as a vertical, horizontal and angular fibre (VHAF) carpet
Thickness: 12mm +/- 10%
Pile weight: 1.23 kg/m²
Overall weight: 1.599 kg/m²
Backing: None. Instead impregnated with reverse applied synthetic latex

Recommendations

We recommend Practice Turf Cricket Carpet is used in conjunction with our Cricket Shockpad (see CR510) when laid on a dynamic stone bases for optimising ball bounce and playing characteristics. The shockpad helps to protect and stabilise the stone base and minimise maintenance. On a concrete base however, a shockpad won't do either of those things, so using one would be unnecessary. In such cases it is preferable to just accept the surface will play hard and fast. For children though, that means they will get some bounce from the surface, whereas on an equivalent natural turf strip you may get none.

Practice Play is our recommended carpet of choice for permanent installation onto concrete bases.

Our Cricket Downloads section is a great resource and includes relevant data sheets which provide further information on our full range of cricket surfaces and installation tips and techniques.

Practice Turf Cricket Carpet: Common Questions & Answers

Why have an Artificial Cricket Pitch at all?

Well installed artificial Cricket Pitch systems offer realistic play with significantly lower maintenance costs than natural grass wickets. No covers required. The three main types of artificial cricket pitch surface are woven, tufted and needlepunch. We only supply UK manufactured carpets made for us in Yorkshire under ISO9001 and ISO14001 accredited conditions. 

What is needlepunch?

Needlepunch is a versatile textile manufacturing process that involves interlocking fibres together to create a non-woven fabric. The process is widely used in various industries due to its durability, strength and cost effectiveness. The manufacturing process involves vertically punching barbed needles through a web of fibres, entangling them together. It is often used on industrial and office carpets. To describe what it looks like, we say it's a bit like a Brillo Pad, but green.

Why should I use a needlepunch cricket surface like Practice Turf?

There are many benefits of using Practice Turf, not least of which is cost and value. It's not a bladed artificial grass so you don’t get that aesthetic look, but it is very hard wearing. It doesn’t have an artificial grass pile to flatten, it drains really well and it can be used on just about any sub base. The one time not to select it is if your players still use metal spikes, although not many do any more, as spikes will just tear it apart.

Will I require a shockpad?

We recommend shockpads under all carpets laid on dynamic stone bases, including Practice Turf. However, on a concrete base shockpads do not provide much, if any, benefit. In this case it's preferable to just accept that it will play hard and fast. For children in particular that is a good thing. It means that they will get some bounce where on an equivalent natural turf strip they may get nothing at all.

How do I maintain a Practice Turf needlepunch cricket carpet?

It depends to some degree where it is laid and what it is laid on to. No synthetic surface is maintenance free and it is important to have a regime in place for your Practice Turf carpet to get maximum life and performance. Please see our Cricket Downloads section for our recommended maintenance advice.

Is it an all weather carpet?

Yes, but with one caveat. We can't claim that it is truly all-weather because snow will on occasion settle on the carpet, and when this happens we recommend not removing it in case you damage the carpet whilst doing so.

I require a length and size that's not listed, can you help?

Yes, our Practice Turf cricket carpets are cut down from much bigger and longer rolls, so can be made up to any full metre length you require. We can also supply 4.0 metre widths to order too, in the same full metre lengths. Usually these work out at the same pro-rata m² price as the nearest standard size, but please contact our sales office on 01858 545789 with your requirements.

Would a 2m wide cricket carpet be too narrow?

It is sometimes suggested that 2 metres is not wide enough for a non-turf wicket, as the majority are 2.74 metres wide. That is a legacy of old 9ft (2.74m) widths of carpet manufacturing. In our opinion, a ball bowled wider than one metre either side is too wide for most players to hit. A tighter, two metre target width encourages and focuses younger bowlers in particular to bowl straighter, and more accurately.

It is also worth bearing in mind that a 2m wide strip is 37% smaller than a 2.74m wide strip, which equates to 22.2m² on a 30m match wicket. Using a 2m wide strip can result in significant cost savings, when base materials, construction costs, carpet and labour and all considered.

Are there any alternatives to Practice Turf?

Yes, there's always alternatives, including Flicx wickets if you are looking for something permanent for home or a Primary school. However, the best alternative to consider is our PVC Backed roll up, roll down versions of the Practice Turf carpet that can be used both indoors and outdoors. There are any number of reasons why that may be a better option for you. Take a look at our full PVC Backed Practice Turf Cricket Carpet product listing for more information.

Can I install Practice Turf myself, either on a new build or resurfacing project?

Yes, absolutely. You might want a second pair of hands to help because the rolls are big and heavy, but see our Cricket Downloads section for information on how to do it yourself, and for installation information.

Can I get a sample?

Yes, we are happy to provide samples to any serious potential customer. Please email us at [email protected] or contact us through our website.

Don't forget to provide us with your full postal address and let us know which products you are interested in, and we will post a sample out to you.

Ordering

To order a Practice Turf Cricket Carpet, simply select the size required from the drop down menu.

Practice Turf is cut from longer rolls to order, so any full metre length in either of our standard 2m and 2.74m widths are available, whatever the length of your match strip, batting or bowling end. If you'd like to order a size not listed, please contact our sales office on 01858 545789 with your requirements. As a guide, any non-standard size is likely to be priced at the same £/m² pro rata rate as the nearest standard length.

We suggest 9 metres is considered to be a minimum batting end length, although bowling ends can be as short as 7 metres.

30m match wicket lengths are offered as standard in either 2m or 2.74m widths. 4m widths are not standard, but can also be supplied to order.

Unfortunately it's not always possible to have every length and width of carpet available ex-stock for immediate delivery, due to the number of size permutations available. Please ask our sales office on 01858 545789 for availability, or send an e-mail to [email protected] with your size requirements and delivery address and we will get back to you.